SACRED MUSIC
Volume 114, Number 4
(Winter) 1987
Saint Michael conquering the Dragon. Tympanum of the church of St.-Michael d'Etraignes, Angouleme. c. 1140.
SACRED MUSIC
Volume 114, Number 4, Winter 1987
FROM THE EDITORS
Concerts in Church
The Demise of the Devotional
Latin and the Novus Ordo
3
4
5
PARTICIPATION
Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
7
GREGORIAN SEMIOLOGY: THE NEW CHANT. PART III
Robert M. Fowells 11
CONCERTS IN CHURCHES
Declaration of the Congregation for Divine Worship 17
EDWARD M. CONNOR (1919-1987)
Catherine M. Dower 22
ORGAN RESOURCE LIST 23
REVIEWS 26
NEWS 29
EDITORIAL NOTES 30
CONTRIBUTORS 30
INDEX TO VOLUME 114 31
SACRED MUSIC
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474960
FROM THE EDITORS
Concerts in Church
Without doubt, most parish priests and musicians will be happy for the recent
declaration of the Congregation for Divine Worship, entitled "Concerts in
Churches," dated November 5, 1987. Surely everything must be done to preserve the
sacred character of a church as God's house and the very gate of heaven. The
disappearance of the practice of maintaining silence in church has worked against the
holiness of the place; construction of new churches and renovation of older buildings
in a style that is secular has also militated against a sacred atmosphere. But more
than anything else has been the giving over of the church to secular activities:
meetings, political assemblies, and concerts of secular music. The churches in many
cases have become meeting halls and concert auditoriums.
The Holy See has now moved to stop this trend and to restore an atmosphere of
holiness to buildings that are dedicated to the worship and the service of God. All
else must be excluded. This is, of course, nothing new; the new Code of Canon Law
only repeats what has long been the law. Canon 1210 is the basis for the more
detailed rules given in the recent document, which is printed in its entirety in this
issue of Sacred Music.
In reading the document, however, one cannot help but wonder about some other
activities that destroy the holiness of our churches. Not least is the music performed,
not at concerts, but within the liturgy itself, music which is not sacred nor is it art.
So much of the output of instrumental and vocal combos that one experiences so
frequently in parish liturgies today does more to secularize the church than most
concert programs. Most organ and orchestra concerts in church at least feature good
music even though not always sacred. While making an effort to control concert
performances, authorities should exercise more control of the liturgical performances so widely used today.
Further, the document moves from its subject—concerts in churches—to comment
on matters not directly concerned with the issue at hand. In paragraph 6, it says:
"musical compositions which date from a period when the active participation of the
faithful was not emphasized as the source of the authentic Christian spirit are no
longer to be considered suitable for inclusion within liturgical celebrations." These,
whatever they might be, are allowed for sacred concerts in church. But the question
that arises is what is meant by the phrase, "a period when the active participation of
the faithful was not emphasized." Most Gregorian chant was sung almost exclusively
by monastic choirs. The music of Palestrina was written for sixteenth century polyphonic choirs. And yet both those styles have continuously been upheld by the
popes for use and imitation as the proper music for liturgical celebrations. This
sentence is liable to cause problems if it is picked up by those who have tried so hard
to destroy the art of sacred music, those who in the twenty years since the Second
Vatican Council have nearly succeeded by disbanding choirs and forbidding the use
of Latin, all in the name of participation.
The document gives good guidelines for regulating the use of churches for concerts, which is its purpose. The extra comments, such as the one quoted above, are
not on the subject and may stir up false ideas about true participation. Each age did
indeed participate in the liturgy; former eras cannot be judged by our standards of
the means to participate. Indeed, differences even in today's world bring about the
variety that is witnessed in today's liturgies. Palestrina and the renaissance polyphonists and certainly the Gregorian repertory, when listened to within a liturgical
FROM THE EDITORS
setting, can bring about a deep participation in the congregation through listening.
(Cf. article on participation in this issue of Sacred Music.)
Serious attention and obedience must be given to this declaration from Rome. It
can bring about nothing but an improvement in making our churches the holy places
that they should be. As musicians we have an important role through music to
promote the sacred.
R.J.S.
The Demise of the Devotional
FROM THE EDITORS
Much has been said about the loss of liturgical sense of the sacred, but little has
been said of the pivotal personage mainly responsible for this unfortunate development, the priest celebrant. It is he who sets the mood knowingly or unknowingly,
creates the atmosphere deliberately or otherwise, whenever Mass is celebrated. The
manner in which he says Mass is a transparent index as to his convictions concerning
himself first of all, but also concerning his spiritual life and being, concerning his
understanding of the priesthood, and lastly, of the awesome act he is performing.
Consciously or unconsciously, he betrays his piety or lack thereof, his dedication or
lack thereof, his culture and education or lack thereof, a sensitivity which will not
allow him to impose or intrude his own personality upon the ritual he is enacting,
that he himself is nothing, but what he does is ineffable. The word one searches for
and finally finds is the word "objectivity."
The preconciliar way of enacting the Mass was objective in the sense that it
permitted little display of the individual. Priests were tall or short, stout or thin, but
when they put on the almost ubiquitous fiddleback vestment, they all were simply
priests. The fiddleback was the great leveler of individuality. And when the fiddleback mounted the altar steps the congregation knew subsconsciously that, like
Moses, he was going up to talk to God and that was what they were paying him for.
The mystique of the Latin contributed to objectivity, uniformity. Even if he wanted
to, in those far off times, there was little the priest could do to deprive the Mass of its
objective sacredness. But then things got turned around, not just the altars, but the
priests themselves, degenerating as they did into a generation of thespians, and very
poor ones at that, becoming actors without being trained in the subteties of acting, in
the restraint, nuances and understatements which are the actors' tool of trade. The
anonymous fiddleback was traded off for something closely resembling a horse
blanket, the ample folds of which encourage wildly flaying gesticulation and other
theatricities. "Look at me in my horse blanket; am I not wonderful to behold?" The
congregation found themselves eye ball to eye ball with this hirsute anomaly no
longer an avenue to the deity but an obstacle thereunto. Their sensibilities devastated, they took off, carrying their offertory envelopes with them.
We priests could take a cue from the apostles, the founders of our ancient faith.
Although they received their priesthood directly from the dear Lord Himself, they
were largely a faceless, anonymous group. We know nothing of most of them except
that they preached the gospel and died because they did so. Liturgical anonymity
and objectivity are achieved and can be restored by faithful observance of the rules
and rubrics. Do it the way the book says and you have a holy Mass. The rules and
rubrics leave little leeway for adlibbing, interpolation, innovation, intrusion of the
"imaginative" individual.
Meanwhile the side-shows go on and a shallow faith becomes shallower still.
The characteristic of objectivity applies equally to that integral liturgical action
which is the proclamation of the word. The temptation is always there for the
preacher to insinuate himself as orator or comedian or rhetorician, the turner of the
artful, clever phrase. He must learn to obscure himself in the objective reality and
mystery of Christ, the objective reality and mystery of the truths of faith and
revelation. It was said of Saint Dominic that he never talked about anything but
God. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Dominic must have been
somewhat of a bore. But he had the right idea and therefore was a great priest.
But will the authorities intervene? It isn't likely. As we so often say, things are as
they are because the authorities want them that way. We hear them talking approvingly about "liturgies" which are "meaningful" and "imaginative" and "innovative."
Meanwhile, according to professional pole gatherers, more and more Catholics stay
away from Mass, turned off and away by the puerile and amateurish ineptitudes to
which they are being subjected.
REV. JOHN BUCHANAN
Latin and the Novus Ordo
There is still a lack of correct information, a n d also a good deal of misinformation, about the status of Latin in the Church on the one hand, and about the Novus
O r d o and the Tridentine Mass on the other. The state of affairs is exemplified by a
conversation I had with an old friend some years ago. I remember it because he is an
intelligent, well-educated professional m a n w h o is well-informed on almost all matters of current interest, and also because at the time of o u r conversation he h a d
recently been ordained a permanent deacon.
As we talked about his new status in the Church, it was evident that he was
devoted to his new duties and privileges, and was applying himself to them with real
enthusiasm. We discussed his role in the liturgy, a n d I mentioned that I attend a Latin
high Mass on Sundays. He looked at me with surprise, a n d wanted to know h o w
permission h a d been obtained for a Latin Mass.
It was my turn to be surprised to find that a permanent deacon of the Church was
without proper knowledge about the place of Latin. I assured him that not only was
permission for the use of Latin not required, but that Latin is still the official
language of the Church in the Latin rites, and that Vatican II, while permitting the
vernacular, h a d said so in no uncertain terms.
In the documents of Vatican II, which I offered to bring to him, we find the
following in the constitution on the sacred liturgy, 36: 1,2:
Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the
Latin rites. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, may frequently be a great advantage
to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. . .
M y friend was still skeptical a n d felt certain that such a Mass was no longer
allowed. I realized then that to him a Latin Mass meant a Tridentine Mass. The two
were one a n d the same in his mind. So I went on to explain that the Latin high
Masses that I attend are according to the Novus O r d o , a statement that brought
further puzzlement until I pointed out that this meant the "new Mass"—the new
form of the Mass—and that the use of Latin with the Novus O r d o is not only
legitimate but very much in tune with the instructions of Vatican II.
It is well to note that Vatican II tells us that Latin is to be preserved, while use of
the vernacular may be extended. That seems so straightforward that it almost defies
inadvertent misinterpretation. But what has happened, of course, is that the vernacular has taken over almost completely.
The indult to allow the Tridentine Mass in restricted circumstances has further
clouded the issue, because the Tridentine Mass—the "old Mass"—the Mass of Pope
FROM THE EDITORS
Pius V—must be said in Latin. But that is a separate matter, and should not complicate our understanding of the proper places of Latin and the vernacular in the Novus
Ordo—the new rite of the Mass.
There is no question that the Mass according to the Novus Ordo can be celebrated
with beauty and reverence and solemnity, whether in Latin or in English. It certainly
is at the Church of St. Agnes in Saint Paul, Minnesota. But the element of mystery in
worship is much more difficult to achieve in English, and the use of English has led to
widespread abuses and serious aberrations in many places. To say that such deviations are in direct defiance of authority is to speak the simple truth.
Consider the instructions from the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and
Divine Worship published with the approval of Pope John Paul II:
One who offers worship to God on the Church's behalf in a way contrary to that
which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in
the Church is guilty of falsification.
No person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove or change anything in the liturgy
on his own authority.
Anyone who takes advantage of the reform to indulge in arbitrary experiments is
wasting energy and offending the ecclesial sense.
It is a very serious thing when division is introduced. . .in the liturgy and the Eucharistic Sacrifice, by the refusing of obedience to the norms laid down in the liturgical
sphere.
Those instructions are so explicit that it should be difficult for any ordinary
Catholic to comprehend how they can be deliberately ignored. Whether because of
ignorance or disobedience, it is inexcusable and deplorable.
There is a continuing argument about whether the Tridentine Mass should be fully
restored alongside the Novus Ordo, or with the Novus Ordo eliminated. The argument ranges all the way from those who declare that the Novus Ordo change was
unwise to those who condemn it as invalid. Whether the Novus Ordo is entirely
responsible for the secularization and vulgarization of the liturgy is open to question, but it certainly presented the opportunity to those who were so inclined. And
they seized it with a vengeance. So those who contend that the change to the Novus
Ordo together with the vernacular was unwise may well have a reasonable argument.
It is something altogether different, however, to argue that the Novus Ordo results
in an invalid Mass. That is far-fetched, extremist, and completely without foundation. There can be no question whatsoever that the Mass according to the Novus
Ordo is valid, and we should never let questions about its validity go unanswered.
We are left with serious problems in regard to the liturgy. Proper instruction
would surely easily clarify the proper place for the use of Latin and the vernacular,
as well as the present situation in regard to the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine
Masses.
Eliminating the abuses now so prevalent will certainly be incomparably more
difficult because of the dissension and free-thinking that are tormenting the Church.
A good starting point is to be aware that they are indeed abuses and in direct
defiance of the instructions to "one who offers worship to God on the Church's
behalf."
DR. GERALD HOFMANN, Guest Editor
FROM THE EDITORS
6
PARTICIPATION
With the constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, issued in 1965 by
the Second Vatican Council, everyone became very conscious of personal participation in the sacred liturgy, particularly in the Mass.
But active participation in the liturgy was not a concept created by the Second
Vatican Council. Indeed, even the very words actuosa participatio can be found in
the writings of the popes for the past one hundred years. Pope Pius X called for it in
his motu proprio, Tra le sollecitudini, published in 1903, when he said that "the
faithful assemble to draw that spirit from its primary and indispensable source, that
is, from active participation in the sacred mysteries and in the public and solemn
prayer of the Church."
Pope Pius XI in his apostolic constitution, Divini cultus, wrote in 1928, that the
restoration of Gregorian chant for the use of the people would provide the means
whereby "the faithful may participate in divine worship more actively." Such participation was to be achieved both by singing and by an appreciation of the beauty of
the liturgy which stirs the heart of the worshiper, w h o thereby enters into the sacred
mysteries.
In his encyclicals, Mystici corporis in 1943, and Mediator Dei in 1947, Pope Pius
XII used the term but carefully insisted that true participation was not merely external but consisted in a baptismal union with Christ in His Mystical Body, the Church.
In 1958, the Sacred Congregation of Rites issued the instruction, De musica sacra,
which distinguished several qualities of participation:
The Mass of its nature requires that all those present participate in it, in the fashion
proper to each.
This participation must primarily be interior (i.e., union with Christ the Priest;
offering with and through Him).
b) But the participation of those present becomes fuller (plenior) if to internal attention is joined external participation, expressed, that is to say, by external actions such as
the position of the body (genuflecting, standing, sitting), ceremonial gestures, or, in
particular, the responses, prayers and singing. . .
It is this harmonious form of participation that is referred to in pontifical documents
when they speak of active participation (participatio actuosa), the principal example of
which is found in the celebrating priest and his ministers who, with due interior devotion and exact observance of the rubrics and ceremonies, minister at the altar.
c) Perfect participatio actuosa of the faithful, finally, is obtained when there is added
sacramental participation (by communion).
d) Deliberate participatio actuosa of the faithful is not possible without their adequate instruction.
It is made clear that it is the baptismal character that forms the foundation of
active participation.
Vatican II introduced n o radical alteration in the concept of participatio actuosa as
fostered by the popes for the past decades. The general principle is contained in
Article 14 of the constitution on the sacred liturgy:
Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious
and active participation in the ceremonies which is demanded by the very nature of the
liturgy.
Such participation by the Christian people as a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a redeemed people" (I Pet. 2:9; 2: 4-5) is their right and duty by reason of
their baptism.
In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and
indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true spirit of Christ. . .
PARTICIPATION
PARTICIPATION
The word "full" (plena) refers to the integrally h u m a n fashion in which the baptized
faithful take part in the liturgy, i.e., internally a n d externally. The word "conscious"
(conscia) demands a knowledge of what one is doing on the part of the faithful,
excluding any superstition or false piety. But the word "active" (actuosa) requires
some greater examination.
A true grasp of the meaning of participation in the liturgy demands a clear
understanding of the nature of the Church and above all of Christ Himself. At the
basis of so much of today's problems in liturgy lies a false notion of Christology and
ecclesiology. Christ, the incarnate Word of God, true God and true M a n , lives on in
this world now. "I will be with you all days until the end of the world." Even though
He has arisen and ascended into heaven, He lives with us. T h e Church is His mystical
Body, indeed His mystical Person. We are the members of that Body. Its activity, the
activity of the Church, is the activity of Christ, its Head. The hierarchical priesthood
functions in the very person of Christ, doing His work of teaching, ruling and
sanctifying. T h u s the Mass and the sacraments are Christ's actions bringing to all the
members of His Body, the Church, the very life that is in its Head. Participation in
that life demands that every member of the Body take part in that action, which is
primarily the liturgical activity of the Church. The liturgy is the primary source of
that divine life, and thus all must be joined to it in an active way. Baptism is the key
that opens the door and permits one to become part of the living Body of Christ. The
baptized Christian has not only a right to participation in the Church's life but a duty
as well. It is only the baptized person w h o can participate.
The difference between participation in the liturgy that can be called activa and
participation that can be labelled actuosa rests in the presence in the soul of the
baptismal character, the seal that grants one the right to participate. Without the
baptismal mark, all the actions of singing, walking, kneeling or anything else can be
termed "active," but they do not constitute participatio actuosa. O n l y the baptismal
character can make any actions truly participatory. Let us use an example. Let us say
that a pious Hindu attends Mass, takes part in the singing and even walks in a
procession with great piety. In the same church is also a Catholic w h o is blind and
deaf and w h o is unable to leave his chair; he can neither sing nor hear the readings
nor walk in the procession. Which one has truly participated, the one w h o is very
active, or the one w h o has confined himself solely to his thoughts of adoration?
Obviously, it is the baptized Catholic w h o has exercised participatio actuosa despite
his lack of external, physical movement. The Hindu even with his many actions has
not been capable of it, since he lacks the baptismal character.
Granting then the absolute necessity of baptism, it still is imperative for the
Christian to take part in the liturgy actively by a variety of actions. This means that
the internal actuosa participatio, which the baptismal m a r k empowers, must be
aided by those external actions that he is capable of. He should do those things that
the Church sets out for him according to his role in the liturgy and the various
conditions that age, social position and cultural background dictate. He must join
participatio activa to his participatio actuosa which he exercises as a baptized person.
What are those actions that make for true active participation in the liturgy?
These must be both internal and external in quality, since m a n is a rational creature
with b o d y a n d soul. The external actions must be intelligent and understood, sincere
and pious internally. The Church proposes m a n y bodily positions: kneeling, standing, walking, sitting, etc. It likewise proposes many h u m a n actions: singing, speaking, listening and above all else, the reception of the Holy Eucharist. They demand
internal attention as well as external execution.
O n e of the most active and demanding of h u m a n actions is that of listening. It
requires strict attention and summons up in a person his total concentrative effort. It
is possible, for example, to walk without really knowing that one is walking or
advert to where one is going. It is possible even to sing, especially a very familiar
tune, and not be conscious of actually singing. But one cannot truly listen without
attention. Especially in our day of constant radio and TV broadcasting, we are able
to tune out almost every sound we wish. To listen attentively demands full human
concentration. Listening can be the most active form of participation, demanding
effort and attention. Truly, as the scriptures tell us, faith demands hearing, fides ex
auditu.
With that in mind, surely the baptized Christian who listens with care to the
proclamation of the gospel or the singing of the preface at Mass truly has achieved
participation, both activa and actuosa.
The Church does not have the entire congregation proclaim the gospel text, but
rather the deacon or the priest does it. It is the duty of all to listen. The canon of the
Mass is not to be recited by everyone but all are to hear it. Listening is a most
important form of active participation.
There is a variety of roles to be observed in the public celebration of the liturgy.
There is the role of priest, deacon, reader, cantor, choir and congregation, among
many others. Because each office has his own purpose and its own manner of acting
we have the basic reason for a distinction of roles. If the reader or the cantor is to
read and sing, certainly the role of the others is to listen. If the choir is to sing,
someone must listen and in so-doing participate actively in the liturgy, even if during
the period of listening he is relatively inactive in a physical way.
Every age has participated in the liturgy through baptism, as members of the
Church and part of the mystical Body of Christ. All ages have shared in the right and
duty of actuosa participatio. If, as Pius X insists, the liturgy is the primary source of
the Christian life, everyone must take part in it to achieve salvation. Active participation is not an invention of our day; the Church throughout the ages constantly
shared the life of Christ with its members in the Mass and the sacraments, the very
actions of Christ Himself working through His Church and His priesthood. For each
age the activities deemed by it to be useful in promoting that participation have
varied according to the needs and ideas of the period. One cannot say that because
the medieval period developed a chant that was largely the possession of monastic
choirs, the congregations who listened were not actively participating. Perhaps not
according to post-Vatican II standards, but one must carefully avoid the error of
judging the past by the present and applying to former times criteria that seem
valuable in our own times. Because Palestrina's polyphonic Masses require the singing of trained choirs, can one assume that non-choir members in the renaissance
period were deprived of an active participation in the liturgy? No age could permit
such a thing to happen and thus be deprived of the primary source of the spiritual
life. The sixteenth-century baptized Roman did participate through listening along
with other activities, as no doubt an eighteenth-century Austrian did when he heard
a Mozart Mass performed by a choir and orchestra.
We must then carefully consider the roles of each individual, and we must consider the cultural and personal conditions of each one who must find in the liturgy
the primary source of his spiritual life. A variety of opportunities for liturgical
activity is needed, and good pastoral direction will supply the need. The Church
herself does so by the very rubrics of the liturgical books, directing what is to be
done. The Vatican Council taught the need of various functions and various roles to
carry out completely the liturgical actions.
Surely the spoken and sung responses and acclamations in the liturgy are the right
and the duty of all present. But the practice of calling the Sanctus an acclamation is
PARTICIPATION
without foundation; it is a hymn, found in the Old Testament and sung by the
angels. It is not the exclusive perogative of the congregation as it might be thought to
be if it is labelled an acclamation. As a hymn it can be given to a trained group and
sung in a more elaborate setting. The same is true of the parts called the ordinary of
the Mass, including the Credo, which may be listened to and consented to with great
faith without having to be spoken by the congregation. The proper parts of the
Mass, because of the great variety of texts and settings, fall of necessity to trained
and practiced groups. One may, of course, never exclude the congregation totally
from participation by singing, but the variety of methods allows for many possibilities for participation by singing or by listening to singing. The possibilities of participation are almost infinite.
Important too for any participation in the liturgy is the elevation of the spirit of
the worshiper. Ultimately, liturgy is prayer, the supreme prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, petition and reparation. Prayer is the raising of the heart and the mind to
God as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. The means to achieve such elevation of the
spirit in prayer involve all the activities of the human person, both spirit and body.
Such means produce true actuosa participatio. Thus beauty, whether it appeals to
the sight, the ear, the imagination or any of the senses, is an important element in
achieving participation. The architectural splendor of a great church or the sound of
great music, or the solemnity of ceremonial movement by ministers clothed in precious vestments, or the beauty of the proclaimed word—all can effect a true and
salutary participation in one who himself has not sung a note or taken a step. But he
is not a mere silent spectator as some would say; he is actively participating because
of his baptismal character and the grace stirred up in him by what he is seeing and
hearing, thinking and praying.
The Church has always promoted Gregorian chant. Especially during this past
century, the popes have fostered the music of the renaissance polyphonists. Pope
John Paul II celebrated Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica with the Vienna orchestra and
singers doing Mozart's Coronation Mass. Anyone who was present on that memorable occasion in that great church experienced true participation.
Thus to limit participation to singing impoverishes seriously the opportunity of
the Christian to take part in the most essential means for his salvation. One does not
have to sing to save his soul. But one must be active (actuosa participatio) in the
liturgy, through baptism and other actions according to his ability, state, culture and
disposition, in order to enter into the mystery of the redemption wrought by Christ,
outside of which there is no salvation.
We can conclude with this definition of participatio actuosa:
(It is) that form of devout involvement in the liturgical action which, in the present
conditions of the Church, best promotes the exercise of the common priesthood of the
baptized: that is, their power to offer the sacrifice of the Mass with Christ and to receive
the sacraments. It is clear that, concretely, this requires that the faithful understand the
liturgical ceremonial; that they take part in it by bodily movements, standing, kneeling
or sitting as the occasion may demand; that they join vocally in the parts which are
intended for them. It also requires that they listen to, and understand, the liturgy of the
word. It requires, too, that there be moments of silence when the import of the whole
ceremonial may be absorbed and deeply personalized. (Colman E. O'Neill, "The Theological Meaning of Actuosa Participatio in the Liturgy," in Sacred Music and Liturgy
Reform after Vatican II. Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae, Rome, 1969. p.
105.)
MONSIGNOR RICHARD J. SCHULER
PARTICIPATION
10
GREGORIAN SEMIOLOGY: THE NEW
CHANT. PART III
(This is the third and final article in this series by Dr. Fowells.)
The two previous articles discussed the history of the mysteries surrounding medieval chant and gave a summary of the findings of Dom Eugene Cardine regarding the
rhythmic and interpretive implications contained in the medieval notation which
disappeared when the large, square notation denoting exact pitch came into vogue in
the twelfth century. The revelations of his research become truly amazing when
viewed as part of the Gestalt which is made up of the combination of the text, the
melodies, and the subtleties of the interpretive indications. No later notation was
ever developed which conveyed the kinds of nuance found in these ancient neumes.
Cardine's theories replaced the rhythmic system conceived by Dom Mocquereau at
the turn of the century and in some ways revert to the original instincts of Dom
Pothier in the nineteenth century. Cardine has shown that the basic chant rhythm
depends first of all on the natural speech rhythm in which important words or
syllables receive more emphasis in one way or another than the unimportant ones. A
series of single notes may vary in length according to the movement of the Latin. If
one says in English, "Where in the world are my glasses?" the words where, world
and glasses get more emphasis and a little more time than in the or are my even
though they are not strictly counted out as quarter notes or eighth notes. To say each
syllable as a quarter note would make the reader sound moronic. Despite the mensuralist contention that a choir needs a steady pulse to stay together, current practice
with semiology has proved this to be untrue. Any musical performance relies on
phrasing and nuance for a truly musical effect and any listener to Dom Gajard's
recordings would realize instantly that even he did not adhere to a strict, unbending
tempo. An interpretation based on semiology admittedly requires a greater flexibility, but it is a flexibility that is mandated by the flow of the language and the
notation.
The hardest change for the traditional Gregorianist to accept is that neither the
vertical episema or the division of the chant into groups of two or three notes is any
longer valid. Instead, the music moves generally in two types of motion—either the
syllabic beat which agrees with the movement of the spoken word or the melismatic
beat which is a somewhat faster movement that takes into consideration the fact that
neumes with multiple notes and melismas are actually ornaments and, as such,
should be treated with less emphasis than the single pitches. Within these two
movements one also finds an occasional c (celeriter) which reminds the singer to sing
a note or a group of notes a bit lighter and faster than usual. One also finds the
various ways of adding some emphasis and length to a note—the episema, the t
(tenete) or the caesura. Thus, awareness of the types of tempo plus the neumatic
variations and alphabetical signs (the Romanus letters) forms the basis of the more
relaxed and even dramatic sound of the chant a la Cardine.
An exciting musical phenomenon of the late twentieth century is the final marriage
between the musicologist and the performer. Thanks largely to the popularity of
high-fidelity recording, artists with concert caliber imaginations have applied the
findings of the musicologists to old music and discovered beauties formerly unknown. Previously, early music was primarily the hobby of learned amateurs and
most performances of medieval music tended to be stiff and bland. We now know
that their music can be as impassioned as their buildings or their literature. The
medieval musicologist has usually claimed that there was no madrigalism in the
chant, that it was by nature dignified and sanctimonious. All indications of word
THE NEW CHANT
11
painting were dismissed as accidental phenomena to be ignored because there were
instances of the same designs where no pictorialism was possible. Would we apply
the same theory to Bach just because he sometimes applied his baroque vocabulary
abstractly and thus ignore the exquisite examples of word painting in his vocal
works? Hardly! Medieval warnings against excess dramatics should not be taken to
mean that none was intended.
To offer some specific examples, let us first examine a rather simple but lovely
chant, the introit for Christmas midnight Mass, Dominus dixit ad me.
.
-f
0- MI- NUS • df-
.
Ps. 2, 7. If. 7. 2.
r
xit?
J
. ,
"ad me :
1 ,> I -A
\.n
-
di- e
Tf
Fi-
T7
/r v v:
l i - us me- us es
.<f> n
.A.1
ge- nu- i
-
te.
_
tu,
This entire chant is an ornamentation of the tonic and dominant tones of Mode II (d
and f), the falling minor third which characterizes so much of medieval and primitive
melody. In the text the Christ Child is speaking from the manger, saying, "The Lord
has said to me, 'Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten you.'" The chant begins
with an ornamented f, a scandicus with a c beside it to remind the singer that the
clivis should be sung as lightly as the two dots that preceed it. Starting the chant
with a light ornament shows the gentleness of the baby's voice. The light repercussion of the unisons in the tristropha continue in the same mood. The Vatican Edition
dots the single tractulus on -nus but neither the St. Gall or the Laon notation suggest
it.
All of the notes on dixit are also light. The St. Gall scribes used a tristropha with a
lowered first member to show the upward leap, the e {equaliter) simply reminding
the singers to start on the same pitch as the previous note. The Laon notation uses a
pes followed by an oriscus but the c confirms the same light movement as in the
German notation.
Speaking at a more adult pitch, the Lord is quoted on the ornamented tonic (c),
the notes moving in an easy, melismatic flow except for the emphais on meus (my)
where the pitch not only rises above the central pitch of recitation but the St. Gall
scribe added an episema to the clivis on me- and used a square pes on -us, both of
which underline the importance of the word.
The second half of the chant is a variation of the first half. The neume on the first
syllable of ego, however, now has an m (mediocriter) beside it, reminding us not to
be flippant this time because the Lord is speaking. (Notice that since ego and
Dominum are both part of the Trinity, they share the same melody.) The small s, in
its old form, stands for sursum (rise) and reminds the singer to return to the tonic
after the lower cadence on c. The final words, genui te (begotten you), provide a
small, balanced form in themselves—an ornamented tonic on ge, an emphatic reminder of the dominant with the bivirga on nu, a light ornament on the final syllable
at the top of the melody on -i, and then a gentle return to the tonic on te.
How does one learn all of these irregular variations? One learns them, to use M.
Clement Morin's expression, as "little musical words." Each word and each group of
neumes in a melisma has its own musical design and personality which soon becomes indelibly fixed into an entity—the word, its melody and its nuance becoming
one thought. Once learned, one needs only the reminder from the neumes and the
conductor's hand to achieve a unison performance.
THE NEW CHANT
12
Ps. 709, 3
rr
CO. VI
ff
,y
N splcnd6- ri-bus
an-te lu- ci-
fe-rum
sanct6- rum,* ex u- te- ro'
- ge- nu- i
te
If the concept of using light notes to depict the Christ Child's words seems farfetched, let us look at the communion from the very same Mass. Here the Lord
speaks, saying, "In holy splendor, from the womb before the daystar have I begotten
you." This time, the notes abound with signs for lengthening—madrigalesque dignity! In the first phrase, only the unimportant syllables lack emphasis as they dip
down to the minor third below the note of recitation. Is it entirely an accident that
the highest note appears on the word "daystar" and that it is the only note in the
chant that leaps out of its original hexachord? If the birth of Christ can be emblazoned in stained glass as a visual aid for the non-reader when plain glass would have
let in the light, should we strip the sung text of all drama? Evidently they did not.
The descriptive content of the chant is by no means new at Solesmes. A detailed
exposition of the sensitive setting of these two chants appears in a recent publication
from the abbey, a volume of writings by Dom Gajard which was published by the
abbey in honor of his centenary. (Les plus belles melodies Gregoriennes commentees
par Dom Gajard, Solesmes, 1985.)
J) r
..S
4
Is. 9, 6 ; Ps. 97
^
l
~ U-ER * na- tus
est
no-
bjs,
et
fi-
li- us
hu-
da- tus est no-
bis17!
*cu-ius impe- ri- um
me- rum
e-
su-per
Any chant for which we have the old notation shows examples of signs which
deny the sameness of all notes and which add designs that underscore syllables and
enliven the movement of the melody. In the introit for the Mass for Christmas day,
Puer natus est, we find first a square pes on the first syllable of Puer telling us to be
deliberate in the announcement of the news and, incidentally, imitating a trumpet
signal. The first phrase is an ornamented intonation on d and the letter c turns the
neume on the first syllable of nobis into a simple "baroque" ornament. The word
datus (given) is emphasized by virtue of the caesura which adds emphasis to the first
note. The importance of the word imperium (government) is shown not only by the
square pes which rarely appears at the top of a melody but by the height of the top
note, being the only one in the chant that exceeds the original hexachord. The phrase
comes to a cadence on the word eius (His) which is melismatic both by virtue of its
importance and because it is cadential. Without semiology we would have a meandering nine-note figure. With semiology we have a definite design—a lengthened
clivis at the beginning and the end with a turn figure between them which is lightened by the c.
THE NEW CHANT
13
/
•
j
Ay
k.B
>
/••
me-
/ •
/r
a.
PL*
• • Mf ( • .
^ /f
D6minus :
A lovely example of the gracefulness that a simple tenete can add to an otherwise
common figure appears twice in Domus mea. Although on different scale degrees,
the same figure is used for mea and Dominus (being the same). Sung with equal
emphasis on each note the melody is common; adding a slight hold at the top note as
indicated gives the figure an elegant lilt.
Any chant we turn to would provide examples of the interpretive signals discussed
above. To apply the principles, one needs simply to study the tables of neums given
in the front of Gregorian Semiology, noting the shape of the neumes in their most
simple forms and then the multiplicity of variations possible. The Romanum letters
are obvious and the changes made by episemas or square forms present no problem
once the original design is familiar.
It takes a little more familiarity to identify the neumatic breaks, the caesura, but
these constitute Cardine's most important discovery. The fact that the note before the
break must be emphasized and slightly lengthened not only throws emphasis on
important syllables but, in the case of long melismas on a single syllable, changes
what would otherwise be a meandering series of notes into intelligible groups—"little
musical words"—groups which incidentally agree with the words which were added
later in medieval troping as memory aids.
VIII
For example, look at the melisma which is sung on the word Ave in this Ave
Maria. Transcribed into note-heads, this is a formless succession of pitches with
almost no sense of direction.
ve
But if it is sung with the note before the caesura slightly lengthened it breaks into
four, easily remembered designs. Considering the number of Alleluias and cadential
melismas in the repertory, this discovery has changed what were once performance
hurdles into attractive designs.
4
A
THE NEW CHANT
14
L-le-lfi-ia.
'
JU
In this melisma on the last syllable of the Alleluia of Dies sanctificatus the caesuras
break the the pattern into four, four-note figures, each one ending with a tenete to
emphasize its separation from the next pattern, the last one also being extended with
the quilisma figure which re-iterates the former tenete pattern. The word "break,"
incidentally, does not mean a break in the sound but a slight lengthening of a note
which interrupts the regular flow.
-
•
pnn-ci-pes i
A ./
"
In the gradual, Constitues eos, the setting of principes (princes) amounts to a series
of four-note groups in the type of melisma that was probably intended to serve as a
meditation on the word. The first four set the entire word, using a deliberate clivis on
-pes. The next two groups also end with two deliberate notes, although the Vatican
Edition does not accurately reflect the tenete in both the St. Gall and Laon versions
because the lozenges are used to notate both the punctum (dot) and the tractulus
(dash), the first signifying light motion and the last normal speed. The third group
warns of a change in pattern with the tenete on the first note and it also ends with a
tenete. The final figure begins with three lengthened notes and, in effect, lengthens
the fourth again by virtue of the pressus which repeats the note instead of holding it,
and then cadences onto the final note.
In the gradual, Locus iste, the final est before the double bar provides an excellent
example of the deliberate notation of the caesura. It could have been notated
as /njjl//in/l
OT</*/ MJj/^oxJJ/i^
^//^ox a good many other ways but it was not.
St. Gall and Laon agreed almost completely that the first symbol should be the
torculus with its deliberate two last notes. A five note ornament with a tenete at the
end follows. The last seven notes begin by repeating the original three, but the two
early manuscripts differ slightly in that St. Gall adds a tenete to the third note. Both
manuscripts agree, however, that the fourth note should be lengthened and that the
last three notes belong together and should not be tied to the fourth as they are in the
Vatican Edition. The grouping provides an intelligible design for the melisma and
saves it fom being merely an incoherent group of fifteen notes.
D
Jf J t,J"
A pa-cem, * D6- mi-
ne.
The beginning of the introit, Da pacem, illustrates a common use of the caesura
where it underlines or emphasizes the reciting tone of a chant's mode. This common
intonation figure for Mode I shows that the emphasis should be on the second note,
THE NEW CHANT
15
the first being a sort of up-beat, and the second having both a tenete and a caesura.
The next two re-iterations of the note are ornamented with the upper half-step. The
high notes on the following Domine are emphasized by both the caesura and the
tenete; the middle syllable has simply a familiar ornament, and the final syllable
again has a tenete on the reciting note as well as the final cadence.
V
I-de-runt Q-
mnes * fi-nes ter-
rae-
For a final example of the function of the caesura in emphasizing important words
and in delineating melodic designs let us examine the first line of the gradual,
Viderunt omnes. The first phrase is an ornamented intonation on mi and sol of Mode
V. The neumes on Viderunt move at a simple, syllabic tempo as they set us thoroughly in the mode. However, the word omnes (all) is greatly expanded, probably to
emphasize its meaning. The first note on omnes should be stressed, as shown by the
caesura between the first and second notes of the podatus (J) which could have been
written in its usual form (y) if nothing but pitch direction was intended. After that
first note there follows a nine-note ornament made up of three three-note figures set
off from each other by the tenete at the end of the first two groups. The word omnes
is set to this balanced design, — •»••••— . Except for two neighboring notes, the text
fines terrae (ends of the earth) uses only re-iterations of the mi and fa, making it all
the more necessary to derive some sort of pattern to avoid monotony. The two-note
figures on fines are stressed by using a square pes and a clivis with a tenete, contrasting with the faster melismatic tempo of the preceeding word. On terrae the repetitions are broken into patterns by the two figures marked c, the last three-clivis figure
with the celeriter in the middle being a common cadence pattern.
This series of articles, intended not only to bring the church musician up to date on
matters of Gregorian interpretation, but hopefully to encourage the use of the
Church's greatest musical tradition where it may be appropriate in the new service,
has been devoted to an expose of the theories of Dom Eugene Cardine on Gregorian
rhythm and the interpretive indications inherent in the ancient, unheightened
neumes. For the full story, the reader should refer to the following books:
1. Gregorian Semiology by Dom Eugene Cardine, translated by this author from
the original Semiologie Gregorienne. Both are published by Solesmes Abbey.
2. Graduale Triplex, the complete liturgy for the Mass printed with not only the
usual square notation for the pitch but with the ancient neumes from St. Gall below
the notes and those from Laon above, from which the singer reads the performance
directions discussed in the semiology. This is also published by the abbey and it is the
best reference source to date for the music history student. It not only contains the
old notation, but it agrees with the new liturgy which the Liber Usualis does not.
For those who read French, there are numerous other works of interest to the chant
lover available. Simply write for the catalogue from Abbaye St. Pierre de Solesmes,
F-72300 Sable-sur-Sarthe, France.
Although these new interpretations may seem complex at first, singing the chant
in this manner is infinitely easier for the uninitiated than it was with the former
system with its groups of twos and threes. With the new discoveries the chant has a
new life, an even more beautiful flow, and hopefully a more authentic sound in its
faithfulness to the medieval original in keeping with Solesmes' tradition.
ROBERT M. FOWELLS
THE NEW CHANT
16
Monf St. Michel, France
CONCERTS IN CHURCHES
(The following declaration of the Congregation for Divine Worship was sent to the
presidents of the national conferences of bishops and through them to commissions on
liturgy and sacred art. It has protocol number 1251/87, and is dated November 5, 1987.)
I. MUSIC IN CHURCHES OTHER THAN DURING LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
1. The interest shown in music is one of the marks of contemporary culture. The
ease with which it is possible to listen at home to classical works, by means of radio,
records, cassettes and television, has in no way diminished the pleasure of attending
live concerts, but on the contrary has actually enhanced it. This is encouraging,
because music and song contribute to elevating the human spirit.
The increase in the number of concerts in general has in some countries given rise
to a more frequent use of churches for such events. Various reasons are given for this:
local needs, where for example it is not easy to find suitable places; acoustical
considerations, for which churches are often ideal; aesthetic reasons of fittingness,
that is to present the works in the setting for which they were originally written;
purely practical reasons, for example facilities for organ recitals: in a word churches
are considered to be in many ways apt places for holding a concert.
CONCERTS
17
2. Alongside this contemporary development a new situation has arisen in the
Church.
The Scholae cantorum have not had frequent occasion to execute their traditional
repertory of sacred polyphonic music within the context of a liturgical celebration.
For this reason, the initiative has been taken to perform this sacred music in church
in the form of a concert. The same has happened with Gregorian chant, which has
come to form part of concert programmes both inside and outside the church.
Another important factor emerges from the so-called "spiritual concerts," sotermed because the music performed in them can be considered as religious, because
of the theme chosen, or on account of the nature of the texts set to music, or because
of the venue for the performance.
Such events are in some cases accompanied by readings, prayers and moments of
silence. Given such features they can almost be compared to a "devotional exercise."
3. The increased numbers of concerts held in churches has given rise to doubts in
the minds of pastors and rectors of churches as to the extent to which such events are
really necessary.
A general opening of churches for concerts could give rise to complaints by a
number of the faithful, yet on the other hand an outright refusal could lead to some
misunderstanding.
Firstly, it is necessary to consider the significance and purpose of a Christian
church. For this, the Congregation for Divine Worship considers it opportune to
propose to the episcopal conferences, and in so far as it concerns them, to the
national commissions of liturgy and music, some observations and interpretations
for the canonical norms concerning the use of churches for various kinds of music:
music and song, music of religious inspiration and music of non-religious character.
4. At this juncture it is necessary to re-read recent documents which treat of the
subject, in particular the constitution on the liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, the
instruction Musicam sacram of March 5, 1967, the instruction Liturgicae instaurationes of September 5, 1970, in addition to the prescriptions of the Code of Canon
Law, can. 1210, 1213 and 1222.
In this present letter the primary concern is with musical performances outside of
the celebration of the liturgy.
The Congregation for Divine Worship wishes in this way to help individual bishops to make valid pastoral decisions, bearing in mind the socio-cultural situation of
the area.
II. POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION
The character and purpose of churches
5. According to tradition as expressed in the rite for the dedication of a church and
altar, churches are primarily places where the people of G o d gather, a n d are "made
one as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, a n d are the Church, the
temple of G o d built with living stones, in which the Father is worshiped in spirit a n d
in truth." Rightly so, from ancient times the n a m e "church" has been extended to the
building in which the Christian community unites to hear the word of God, to pray
together, to receive the sacraments, to celebrate the Eucharist and to prolong its
celebration in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Cf. Order of the Dedication of
a Church, ch. II, 1).
Churches, however, cannot be considered simply as public places for any kind of
meeting. They are sacred places, that is, "set apart" in a permanent w a y for divine
worship by their dedication and blessing.
As visible constructions, churches are signs of the pilgrim Church on earth; they
are images that proclaim the heavenly Jerusalem, places in which are actualized the
CONCERTS
18
mystery of the communion between man and God. Both in urban areas and in the
countryside, the church remains the house of God, and the sign of His dwelling
among men. It remains a sacred place, even when no liturgical celebration is taking
place.
In a society disturbed by noise, especially in the big cities, churches are also an
oasis where men gather, in silence and in prayer, to seek peace of soul and the light of
faith.
That will only be possible in so far as churches maintain their specific identity.
When churches are used for ends other than those for which they were built, their
role as a sign of the Christian mystery is put at risk, with more or less serious harm to
the teaching of the faith and to the sensitivity of the People of God, according to the
Lord's words: "My house is a house of prayer" (Lk 19, 46).
Importance of Sacred Music
6. Sacred music, whether vocal or instrumental, is of importance. Music is sacred
"in so far as it is composed for the celebration of divine woship a n d possesses
integrity of form" (Musicam sacram n. 4a). T h e Church considers it a "treasure of
inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art," recognizing that it has a
"ministerial function in the service of the Lord" (Cf. SC n. 112); and recommending
that it be "preserved a n d fostered with great care" (SC n. 114).
A n y performance of sacred music which takes place during a celebration, should
be fully in h a r m o n y with that celebration. This often means that musical compositions which date from a period when the active participation of the faithful was not
emphasized as the source of the authentic Christian spirit (SC n. 14; Pius X Tra le
sollecitudini) are no longer to be considered suitable for inclusion within liturgical
celebrations.
Analogous changes of perception and awareness have occurred in other areas
involving the artistic aspect of divine worship: for example, the sanctuary has been
restuctured, with the president's chair, the ambo and the altar versus populum. Such
changes have not been made in a spirit of disregard for the past, b u t have been
deemed necessary in the pursuit of an end of greater importance, namely the active
participation of the faithful. The limitation which such changes impose on certain
musical works can be overcome b y arranging for their performance outside the
context of liturgical celebration in a concert of sacred music.
Organ
7. The performance of purely instrumental pieces on the organ during liturgical
celebrations today is limited. In the past the organ took the place of the active
participation of the faithful, and reduced the people to the role of "silent and inert
spectators" of the celebration (Pius XI, Divini cultus, n. 9).
It is legitimate for the organ to accompany a n d sustain the singing either of the
assembly or the choir within the celebration. O n the other hand, the organ must
never be used to accompany the prayers or chants of the celebrant n o r the readings
proclaimed by the reader or the deacon.
In accordance with tradition, the organ should remain silent during penitential
seasons (Lent a n d Holy Week), during Advent a n d the liturgy for the dead. When,
however, there is real pastoral need, the organ can be used to support the singing.
It is fitting that the organ be played before and after a celebration as a preparation
and conclusion of the celebration.
It is of considerable importance that in all churches, and especially those of some
importance, there should be trained musicians a n d instruments of good quality. Care
should be given to the maintenance of organs a n d respect shown towards their
historical character both in form a n d tone.
CONCERTS
19
III. PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES
8. The regulation of the use of churches is stipulated by canon 1210 of the Code of
C a n o n Law:
"In a sacred place only those things are to be permitted which serve to exercise or
promote worship, piety a n d religion. Anything out of h a r m o n y with the holiness of
the place is forbidden. The O r d i n a r y may, however, for individual cases, permit
other uses, provided they are not contrary to the sacred character of the place."
The principle that the use of the church must not offend the sacredness of the place
determines the criteria by which the doors of a church may be opened to a concert of
sacred or religious music, as also the concomitant exclusion of every other type of
music. The most beautiful symphonic music, for example, is not in itself of religious
character. The definition of sacred or religious music depends explicitly on the
original intended use of the musical pieces or songs, and likewise on their content. It
is not legitimate to provide for the execution in the church of music which is not of
religious inspiration and which was composed with a view to performance in a
certain precise secular context, irrespective of whether the music would be judged
classical or contemporary, of high quality or of a popular nature. O n the other hand,
such performances would not respect the sacred character of the church, and on the
other, would result in the music being performed in an unfitting context.
It pertains to the ecclesiastical authority to exercise without constraint its governance of sacred places (Cf. canon 1213), and hence to regulate the use of churches in
such a way as to safeguard their sacred character.
9. Sacred music, that is to say music which was composed for the liturgy, but
which for various reasons can no longer be performed during a liturgical celebration,
and religious music, that is to say music inspired by the text of sacred scripture or the
liturgy and which has reference to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the saints or to
the Church, may b o t h find a place in the church building, but outside liturgical
celebration. The playing of the organ or other musical performance, whether vocal
or instrumental, may: "serve to promote piety or religion." In particular they may:
a. prepare for the major liturgical feasts, or lend to these a more festive character
beyond the moment of actual celebration;
b . bring out the particular character of the different liturgical seasons;
c. create in churches a setting of beauty conducive to meditation, so as to arouse
even in those w h o are distant from the Church an openness to spiritual values;
d. create a context which favors and makes accessible the proclamation of God's
word, as for example, a sustained reading of the gospel;
e. keep alive the treasures of church music which must not be lost; musical pieces
and songs composed for the liturgy but which cannot in any way be conveniently
incorporated into liturgical celebrations in modern times; spiritual music, such as
oratorios and religious cantatas which can still serve as vehicles for spiritual communication;
f. assist visitors and tourists to grasp more fully the sacred character of a church,
by means of organ concerts at prearranged times.
10. When the proposal is made that there should be a concert in a church, the
Ordinary is to grant the permission per modum actus. These concerts should be
occasional events. This excludes permission for a series of concerts, for example in
the case of a festival or a cycle of concerts.
W h e n the Ordinary considers it to be necessary, he can, in the conditions foreseen
in the Code of Canon Law (can. 1222, para. 2) designate a church that is no longer
used for divine service, to be an "auditorium" for the performance of sacred or
religious music, and also of music not specifically religious but in keeping with the
character of the place.
CONCERTS
20
In this task the bishop should be assisted by the diocesan commission for liturgy
and sacred music.
In order that the sacred character of a church be conserved in the matter of
concerts, the Ordinary can specify that:
a. Requests are to be made in writing, in good time, indicating the date and time of
the proposed concert, the programme giving the works and the names of the composers.
b . After having received the authorization of the Ordinary, the rectors and parish
priests of the churches should arrange details with the choir and orchestra so that the
requisite norms are observed.
c. Entrance to the church must be without payment and open to all.
d. The performers and the audience must be dressed in a manner which is fitting to
the sacred character of the place.
e. The musicians and the singers should not be placed in the sanctuary. The
greatest respect is to be shown to the altar, the president's chair and the a m b o .
f. The Blessed Sacrament should be, as far as possible, reserved in a side chapel or
in another safe and suitably adorned place (Cf. C.I.C., can 938, par. 4).
g. The concert should be presented or introduced not only with historical or
technical details, but also in a way that fosters a deeper understanding and an
interior participation on the part of the listeners.
h. The organizer of the concert will declare in writing that he accepts legal responsibility for expenses involved, for leaving the church in order and for any possible
damage incurred.
11. The above practical directives should be of assistance to the bishops and
rectors of churches in their pastoral responsibility to maintain the sacred character of
their churches, designed for sacred celebrations, prayer and silence.
Such indications should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in the art of music.
The treasury of sacred music is a witness to the way in which the Christian faith
promotes culture.
By underlining the true value of sacred or religious music, Christian musicians and
members of scholae cantorum should feel that they are being encouraged to continue
this tradition and to keep it alive for the service of the faith, as expressed by the
Second Vatican Council in its message to artists:
"Do not hesitate to put your talent at the service of the divine truth. The world in
which we live has need of beauty in order not to lose hope. Beauty, like truth, fills
the heart with joy. And this, thanks to your hands" (Cf. Second Vatican Council,
Message to Artists, December 8, 1965).
Rome, November 5, 1987
Paul Augustine Card. Mayer, O.S.B.
Prefect
Virgilio Noe
Tit. Archbp. of Voncaria
Secretary
CONCERTS
21
EDWARD M. CONNOR (1919-1987)
Composer of hymns, Edward M. Connor died September 19, 1987, in New York
City, where he had just retired as organist and choir director of the Church of Notre
Dame at Morningside Heights. In fact, he played the novena service on Tuesday and
died the following Saturday. At his funeral in New York, the choir of Notre Dame
Church sang his Mass.
Born in Chicopee, Massachusetts, he attended Saint Patrick's School in Chicopee
Falls and graduated in 1936 from Cathedral High School in Springfield, where he was
salutatorian of his class. He attended the Pius X School of Liturgical Music of
Manhattanville College, and from 1941 to 1946 he taught chant and chant accompaniment there. He also taught summer school in Newton, Massachusetts, Providence,
Rhode Island, and Newburgh, New York. Since 1946, he was director of several male
choirs in Bergen County, New Jersey.
He was greatly involved in the world of the Church. He trained many New York
and New Jersey choirs in the singing of Gregorian chant, and he composed a great
deal of church music including the Mass in honor of Pope Paul VI, which appears in
the Paluch Seasonal Missalette. He was author of two books, Prophecy for Today
and Recent Apparitions of Our Lady, and also published several articles in Catholic
publications. From 1954, he was a member of the National Board of Film Review
and was musical editor for their magazine, Films in Review. He was a member of the
National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures and the Legion of Decency for which
he contributed hundreds of articles. He wrote also for Screen Facts and Screen
Careers.
He was a specialist in the subject of angels. He lectured and wrote about true and
false apparitions, the eastern rites, Gregorian chant and prophecy. His writing was
clear, stimulating, refreshing and enlightening. His articles were highly recommended reading for those interested in the apparitions of Mary and the basic meaning of these apparitions.
On the lighter side, he loved to read mysteries, and showing his multi-faceted
personality, from 1978 to 1984, he published many booklets entitled Fun to Solve
Crosswords for Lakewood Publications of Minneapolis, Minnesota. These included
anagram puzzles, fun with words, cryptograms and crossword puzzles that he had
created.
His friends in the service of the Church became more conscious of their ministry
through his dedication. On hearing the Brahms' chorale prelude, O wie selig seid ihr
doch, ihr frommen (Blessed are ye faithful souls) played, and his own Holy, Holy,
Holy and his Lamb of God sung by the congregation at his funeral in the Church of
Saint Patrick in Chicopee Falls, one could not help but think of his contribution to
American church music and to his patience and dedication as a teacher, and his
devotion to the cause of good church music.
He left two brothers, Paul J. and Francis M., and a sister, Annamae Crevier, all of
Chicopee Falls. His other brother, the late Rev. Raymond J. Connor of the Society of
St. Sulpice, died in 1984. Another sister, Mary Rose Chaput Conner, died in 1985.
CATHERINE M. DOWER
EDWARD M. CONNOR
22
ORGAN RESOURCE LIST
(The Organ Resource Centre is a project of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Its headquarters are at 515
McLeod Building, 10136 100th Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 0P1. This bibliography is reprinted in
Sacred Music with permission. Materials listed here may be obtained from the Organ Resource Centre.)
Books
Church Organs: A Guide to Selection and Purchase. John Ogasapian. Baker Book House,
Grand Rapids, MI 49506. US $6.95.
Hymnal Studies 4: Organ Planning—Asking
the Right Questions. John Fesperman. Church
Hymnal Corp., 800 Second Avenue, New York,
NY 10017. US $4.95.
The Organ Handbook. Hans Klotz, trans.
Gerhard Krapf. Concordia Publishing House,
3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, Saint Louis, MO
63118. US $11.
Acoustics of Worship Spaces. David Lubman
and Ewart A. Wetherill, ed. Acoustical Society
of America, 335 East 45th Street, New York,
NY 10017. US $15.
Acoustical Designing in Architecture. Vern O.
Knudsen and Cyril M. Harris. Acoustical Society of America, 335 East 45th Street, New York,
NY 10017. US $15.
Articles, Pamphlets,
Brochures
GENERAL: ORGANIZING THE ORGAN
COMMITTEE
Choosing a Church Organ. Philip Clemens.
Mennonite Publishing House, 616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683. US $.50.
Buying an Organ. John Ogasapian, Carlton T.
Russell. American Guild of Organists, 814 Second Avenue, Suite 318, New York, NY 10017.
US$2.
The Church Organ: A Guide to its Selection.
Philip Gehring. Organ Resource Centre, 515
McLeod Building, 10136 100th Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 0P1. Free.
Objectives of the Organ Advisory Committee.
Council for the Care of Churches. Free.
"On Buying a New Organ" in The American
Organist. US $.40.
"Wilhelm Organ Congregational Style" by Michele Johns in The American Organist. US$.40.
"How to Buy a Pipe Organ" by Anna Marie
Ettel in Sacred Music. US $.50.
"Purchasing an Organ" by Scott R. Riedel in
Your Church. US $.40.
ACOUSTICS
"Acoustics." American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.20.
"Sound Reinforcing Systems in Reverberant
Churches." Council for the Care of Churches.
US$2.
"Acoustics in Worship Spaces." American Guild
of Organists, 815 Second Avenue, Suite 318.
New York, NY 10017. US $2.
"The Acoustics of Worship Spaces." by David L.
Klepper in The American Organist. US $.40.
"Sound Amplification in Churches." Council
for the Care of Churches. US $4.
"Acoustic Treatment for Places of Worship."
Council for the Care of Churches. US $5.
"Acoustics in Worship Spaces: Preparing for
Sound Improvement" by Thomas Foster in The
American Organist. US $.20.
"Acoustics in Worship Space, I" by Scott Riedel
in Diapason. US $.60.
"Acoustics in Worship Space, II" by Scott Riedel
in Diapason. US $.40.
"Theology of Acoustics." American Pipe Organ
Building Association. US $.20.
"Carpeting and Singing." American Pipe Organ
Building Association. US $.20.
"Small Organs in Small Churches." American
Pipe Organ Building. Association. The American Organist. US $.30.
ORGAN
23
ORGAN PLANNING FOR ARCHITECTS
COSTS AND FUNDRAISING
Procedures for New Church Buildings. Council
for the Care of Churches. US $1.25.
A Theology of Church Design. Council for the
Care of Churches. US $5.
"The Church Musician and the Design Process"
by Gorden E. Johnson in The American Organist. US $.50.
"Architecture" by Frederick L. Mitchell in The
American Organist. US $.30.
"A New Church—An Old Problem" by George
Schofield in The American Organist. US $.30.
"Organ Planning for Architects" by Pieter A.
Visser in Diapason. US $.30.
"Fundraising for Organ Restorations" by Raymond A. Biswanger in The American Organist.
US $.40.
"Does a Pipe Organ Really Cost so Much?"
American Pipe Organ Building Association. US
$.20.
"So You Want a Pipe Organ for Your Church!
How are you going to Pay for it?" by Gene R.
Bedient in The American Organist. US $.70.
"What is the Price of a Pipe Organ?" American
Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.40.
"Pipe Organ Prices." American Pipe Organ
Building Association. US $.30.
THE ORGAN/MUSIC IN WORSHIP
"Let Everything that Hath Breath Praise the
Lord" by Robert Wurm in The American Organist. US $.20.
"The Role of the Organ in the Church Service"
by Donald Williams in The American Organist.
US $.40.
"The Organ in Worship: A Reappraisal" by
Quentin Falkner in Diapason. US $.40.
"Martin Luther in Praise of Music" by Endel
Kallas in Journal of Church Music. US $.50.
"Music in the Church" by Rev. Theodore F. Schneider in The American Organist. US $.20.
"What Went Wrong?" by James W. Evans in
The American Organist. US $.40.
ORGAN CARE AND MAINTENANCE
"Practice is Good for Your Organ" by Harry E.
Cooper in The American Organist. US $.20.
"The Energy Squeeze and the Pipe Organ."
American Pipe Organ Building Association. US
$.20.
"Temperature, Humidity and Organs." American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.20.
"Breathing Longer Life into Pipe Organs."
American Pipe Organ Building Association. US
$.30.
"Tuning." American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.30.
"Music in the Stratosphere." American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.30.
A Guide for the Conservation and Maintenance
of Pipe Organs. David Kinsela. Organ Literature Foundation, 45 Norfolk Road, Braintree,
ORGAN MA 02184. US $6.
24
WHAT SIZE ORGAN?
"A One-manual Happening" by Robert Cunkick
in The American Organist. US $.30.
"But You Can't Play Anything on a One-manual
Organ" by Earl M. Miller in Diapason. US
$.40.
"Designing the Small Organ." American Pipe
Organ Building Association. US $.20.
Repertoire for the Small Organ. American
Guild of Organists, 815 Second Avenue, Suite
318, New York, NY 10017. US $2.
"Repertoire for the One-manual Organ: A
Wealth of Literature for the Entire Church Year"
by Naomi Rowley in Journal of Church Music.
US $.50.
"The Versatile One-manual Organ" by Barbara
Owen in Journal of Church Music. US $.60.
"A Pipe Organ in the Home" by James A.
Caldwell in The American Organist. US $.60.
"Organs for Small Churches" by John Ogasapian in Journal of Church Music. US $.60.
SELECTING AN ORGAN BUILDER
"How to Buy a Pipe Organ" by Anna Marie
Ettel in Sacred Music. US $.50.
"How to Select an Organ Builder." American
Pipe Organ Builders Association. US $.30.
"Checking it Out." American Pipe Organ Builders Association. US $.40.
"Some Advice to the Organ Buyer." American
Pipe Organ Builders Association. US $.20.
KEY ACTIONS
"The Tracker Movement and the Organist" by
G. McMahon in The American Organist. US
$.30.
"What is Electro-mechanical Action?" American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.20.
"Organ Renovations" by John A. Schantz in
The American Organist. US $.20.
DEVELOPING A CHURCH MUSIC PROGRAM
"Music in the Church" by Theodore F. Schneider in The American Organist. US $.20.
"Rondo: Church Music Back to the Amateurs?"
by Jean Harmon in The American Organist. US
$.30.
"Clergy-Musicians Relationships" by Paul Westermeyer in The American Organist. US $.50.
PIPE OR ELECTRONIC?
"The Third Kind of Organ" by Lawrence Phelps
in Diapason. US $1.30.
"Introspection" by Lawrence Phelps in Diapason US $.60.
"Retro-suspection" by Peter Planyavsky in
Diapason. US $.40.
"The Future of the Organ" by Lawrence Phelps
in Diapason. US $.80.
"The Nature of the Organ and its Future" by
George Bozeman, Jr. in Diapason. US $.60.
"The Electronic Organ: An Examination" by
Roderick Junor in Diapason. US $.90.
"Pipe Organ Replaces Electronic in Colorado"
in The American Organist. US $.30.
Concerning Pipe Organs and Electronic Imitations: Some Scientific and Economic Observations. San Antonio Pipeorgan Society. US $1.
"Three-dimensional Electronic Organ" by Andrew Neil Shaw in The American Organist. US
$.30.
"Electronic Organs" by Desmond R. Armstrong
in The American Organist. US $.40.
"The Electronic Organ in Perspective" by Richard A. Schaefer in The American Organist.
US $.60.
"Inspiration or Expediency." American Pipe Organ Building Association. US $.20.
"Let Everything (Transistors?) that Hath Breath
Praise the Lord" by Robert Wurm in The American Organist. US $.20.
SPECIALIZED TOPICS
"Organ Mechanics 101" by John Ogasapian in
Journal of Church Music. US $.50.
"Consultants." American Pipe Organ Building
Association. US $.20.
"Pipe Organ Structure and Sound" by William
D. Turner in Diapason. US $.90.
"The Congregational Singing Organ" by Barbara Owens in Diapason. US $.50.
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
Copies of articles from
this publication are now
available from the UMI
Article Clearinghouse.
ILJ_M1ii X vii n\ p
/ — f t / X L LJA___LC>|
Clearinghouse
Mail to: University Microfilms International
300 North Zeeb Road, Box 91 Ann Arbor, MI 48106
ORGAN
25
REVIEWS
Books
The Sound Eternal by Betty C. and Richard J.
Pugsley. Paraclete Press, P.O. Box 1568, Hilltop
Plaza, Route 6A, Orleans, MA 02653. Vol. I: 160
pp.; $9.95, paper; 1987. Vol. II: 90 pp.; $12.95, paper; 1987. (Two volume set: $21.95.)
This small two-volume set can be of great encouragement to choir directors who have little or no
knowledge of Gregorian chant. Its authors, both of
whom have been involved with church music for
many years, began their study of the chant from
scratch. Neither knew anything about it and one
even had a prejudice against it, but both ended up
loving it.
Their story unfolds in Part I of the first volume. It
begins in the Holy Land in 1965, passes through
Cape Cod, England and France, returns to Cape
Cod, and takes us up to the present. Along the way
we learn about the authors' discoveries and meet
many important figures in the current revival of Gregorian chant, including Dom Eugene Cardine of Solesmes.
In the second part of Volume I, the authors apply
the knowledge they acquired from their research and
travels. Thus, Part II is "a little handbook in which
we share with you some of the tools and devices that
proved successful in starting the chant for us and for
our very diverse groups of people."
By using simple but concrete exercises firmly based
in the familiar, the Pugsleys introduced Gregorian
chant to their community of 300 persons. They are
convinced that the same procedure — thoroughly
outlined in Part II — will succeed equally with any
group just beginning its training in Gregorian chant.
Their conviction seems to be: "If we can do it, anyone can."
Between Parts I and II of this volume is a "chant
timeline" foldout, a very useful and interesting chart
in which the "chant is traced through its history as a
vehicle of worship for over 30 centuries." It also
helps to establish a proper perspective of the change
with regard to the development of western music in
general.
Volume II of The Sound Eternal is an anthology of
antiphons, hymns, psalms, and versicles excerpted
from the Antiphonale Monasticum, the Graduale
Romanum, the Liber Hymnarius, the Liber Usualis,
and the New English Hymnal Containing over 90
selections, along with directions for their use in the
Mass and in other liturgical functions, this brief anthology can be very handy for those choirs without
access to the more expensive and comprehensive
works from which it has been compiled.
26
The two volumes of The Sound Eternal are fitting
companions for each other, and much thought and
care seem to have gone into their production. While I
question some things in this set (such as, for example, why certain items were chosen from the Liber
Usualis), these two little books are a worthwhile contribution to introductory Gregorian chant literature,
and can help produce lasting results.
PAUL W. LE VOIR
Magazines
UNA VOCE (France). No. 136. September-October
1987.
An article in this issue reminds its readers that 1987
is not only the 1000th anniversary of the founding of
the Capetian dynasty, but also the 900th anniversary
of the death of William the Conqueror. It reviews the
ecclesiastical institutions, liturgical life and spirituality of the eleventh century. Much of this information
comes from a study of the De officiis ecclesiasticis of
Jean d'Avranches, composed around 1065.
On the musical side there is an article on how to
accompany Gregorian chant on the organ, as well as
an analysis of how to sing the Gloria of Mass IX.
V.A.S.
UNA VOCE (France). No. 137. November-December
1987.
An article explains the origins of noels, traditionally sung during Advent and the Christmas season in
homes and churches and still popular today. While
some of these Christmas carols date from the middle
ages, their great popularity began in the sixteenth
century thanks to printed collections called Bibles de
Noel. Most of these texts were sung to well-known
melodies although some were set to chant melodies.
They never had an official function in the liturgy.
The following news items were reported:
The international Una Voce organization met in
Rome on October 24 and 25, 1987. Representatives
from twelve countries including the United States
gave reports.
Cardinal Edward Gagnon, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, has been designated by
the Holy See as apostolic visitor to gather information on the activities of Archbishop Lefebvre with a
view to finding a way to regularize the situation of
the Fraternity of Pius X. He visited the seminary at
Econe and the Church of St.-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet
in Paris as well as other traditionalist communities in
France and Germany.
The Benedictine Abbey of Hautecombe in France
will close by 1992. Only 35 monks remain there, of
whom seventeen are over seventy years of age. At the
same time a new Buddhist center has opened in the
former Chartreuse of Saint-Hugon.
The Schola Saint-Gregoire of Le Mans will celebrate its 50th anniversary with special festivities on
April 16 and 17, 1988.
V.A.S.
JUBILUS REVIEW. Volume 4, No. 3, Autumn 1987.
With his picture on the cover of this issue, Charles
Lynch (1906-1984) is honored with a biographical
sketch by Dr. Sean Pettit. The editor writes about the
true meaning of "liberation" when applied to liturgical music in which tradition is so important and from
which only a false liberty seeks to escape. A hymn
composed for the Marian Year, entitled "O Mary
Pearl of Grace," is printed and permission is given for
its use. An article by Father Miguel Bernad, S.J.,
describes the building of the famous pipe organ in
Misamis on Mindanao in the Philippines, much of
the work of assembly of the German-made pipes being done by Father Lavery, editor of Jubilus. The issue concludes with a reprint from Sacred Music,
"Whither Church Music? Report from America," by
Roslyn Modzelewski.
R.J.S.
JUBILUS REVIEW. Volume 4, No. 4, Winter 1987.
This is a very sad issue. It announces the cessation
of publication for this very promising and well-edited
journal. The editor, Father Sean Lavery of the Columban Fathers, has been given an assignment as a
missionary in Jamaica in the West Indies. As professor of music at Maynooth University he has accomplished a great deal for church music in Ireland in the
past four years. Educated in Rome, he is an exponent
of the chant theories of Dom Cardine and a strong
advocate of the liturgical decrees of the Vatican
Council. It is with the greatest regret that one sees
this journal disappear from the musical scene, even
though Dr. Lavery urges his readers to become subscribers to Sacred Music.
The issue contains a history of Solesmes Abbey
and its chant apostolate along with an article reprinted from Sacred Music on Gregorian semiology
by Robert M. Fowells. Several photographs of Fr.
Lavery and Dom Cardine with Pope John Paul II are
most interesting. Another article describes a new monastic community in the very heart of Paris, called
the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, and fittingly
the Abbot of Solesmes, Dom Jean Prou, writes on
Gregorian spirituality. This is the best of all the issues
of ]ubilus but unfortunately, the last as well.
R.J.S.
NOVA REVISTA DE MUSIC A SACRA. Vol. 13, Series 2, No. 43. July-August-September 1987.
This issue of the Portugese church music journal is
dedicated as a monograph to P. Manuel de Faria
Borda, a member of the sacred music commission of
the diocese of Braga, on the occasion of his fiftieth
jubilee of ordination to the holy priesthood. A biographical article and a list of his compositions together with several examples of his settings of Portugese texts fill out the issue.
R.J.S.
BOLLETTINO CECILIANO. Anno 82, No. 8-9,
August-September 1987.
An article on parish choirs and their importance
after a period of difficulties brought about by various
interpretations of the Vatican Council's decrees is
contributed by Sandro Casiraghi who insists on the
importance of the ministry of singing in the liturgy.
Agatina Rizzi writes about how singing is prayer. An
article studies the interest of the Church in the restoration of old organs in Italian churches. The remainder of the issue records concerts, congresses and conventions throughout Italy dedicated to church music.
R.J.S.
BOLLETTINO CECILIANO. Anno 82, No. 10, October 1987.
News about a meeting of representatives of Cecilian societies from thirteen European nations to combine efforts for the promotion of church music announces the formation of a super-national
organization which will promote cordiality among
nations that in this century fought against one another in two world wars. The first activity of the new
group is to sponsor a pilgrimage of musicians to
Lourdes as a part of the Marian Year. Already two
thousand Germans have indicated their intention to
make the pilgrimage scheduled for July 29-31, 1988.
Emidio Papinutti writes about Nino Cattozzo, a
composer who has left music inspired by and for the
recitation of the Rosary and its fifteen mysteries.
Sante Zaccaria writes about Max Reger and his music.
R.J.S.
Recordings
Liturgie du Vendredi Saint (Liturgy for Good Friday). Choeur Gregorien de Paris. Francois Polgar,
director. Erato ECD 88102 (compact disc), 1985.
Without question, this is one of the finest recordings of Gregorian chant on the market today. It even
rivals anything produced so far by Solesmes. In it,
the principles of recent semiological research are applied by a choir of impeccable voices to produce a
sublime and compelling sound.
Some of the most difficult and exquisite chants
were chosen for this recording: four responsories, the
Pange lingua {Crux fidelis), and the Passion according to Saint John. (Both choir and choirmaster deserve to be commended for persevering so well
through the entire 25 minutes of the passion. This is
27
not a minor accomplishment, and they have made
the venture an exciting one.) Completing the contents are three lessons set to separate tones from different places and times, an antiphon (Alieni), and the
Improperia.
The freedom and expressiveness of the chant renderings on this recording are quite admirable.
Though I may not agree with all of his interpretations, I respect the choirmaster's judgment and sensitivity. He has made the most of his soloists, choir,
music and acoustics.
Some listeners may wonder whether or not they
can sustain interest in a Gregorian chant recording
for over an hour. This splendid offering from the
Gregorian Choir of Paris should dispel all doubts. It
is refreshing, educational and thoroughly enjoyable.
Playing time is 60 minutes, 18 seconds.
PAUL W. LE VOIR
Joseph Haydn: Missa in tempore belli (Paukenmesse),
Hob. XXII:9. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus, conducted by Leonard Bernstein; Judith
Blegen, soprano; Brigitte Fassbaender, contralto;
Claes H. Ahnsjo, tenor; Hans Sotin, bass; Werner
Thomas, violoncello; Elmar Schloter, organ. Philips
412 734-2.
Joseph Haydn: Missa in angustiis (Nelson-Messe),
Hob. XXH:11. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus, conducted by Colin Davis; Barbara
Hendricks, soprano; Marjana Lipovsek, contralto;
Francisco Araiza, tenor; Peter Meven, bass. Philips
416 358-2.
Charles Gounod: St. Cecilia Mass. Chorus of RadioFrance and Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, conducted by Georges Pretre; Barbara Henricks, soprano; Laurence Dale, tenor; Jean-Philippe Lafond,
baritone; Jean-Louis Gil, organ. EMI-Angel DS38145.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Mass in C Major, Op. 86.
Rodina Choir, V. Arnaoudov, conductor; Sofia State
Philharmonic Orchestra, Konstantin Iliev, conductor.
Monitor MCS 2154.
What a wealth of inspired, expert composition is
represented by these four works! Additionally, the
first three, at least, are served splendidly by these
recordings. The fourth, while good, cannot be recommended as unreservedly as the other three.
Of Haydn's late Masses, the Paukenmesse is the
most felicitous for a chorister to sing. When it comes
up on the rehearsal schedule, you can feel your section brightening up, as if to say, "This is more like it."
This feeling is apparent in the Bavarians' performance. Their perceptible joy and enthusiasm is enhanced by Bernstein's direction of a "live recording."
28
That is all the program notes say about the performance, but I deduced from the word "live" that it was
recorded in one glorious rush, before an audience, as
opposed to piecemeal, for a crew of technicians.
Bernstein recorded "live" his celebrated version of
Beethoven's Mass in D Major, and with this Haydn
Mass as with the Beethoven, he achieves with almost
the same forces a spontaneity that is not as apparent
in Sir Colin Davis' later recording of the Nelson
Mass. If you feel strongly that attending a live performance of almost anything is preferable to watching and/or hearing one transmitted or pre-recorded
electronically, the added spontaneity is a step in the
right direction.
The sporano's role in this Paukenmesse is not as
prominent as in many others, but Ms. Blegen does
beautifully with what she has to sing. Her rhythm,
phrasing, pitch and tone are masterful. The same is
true of Mr. Thomas in the lovely solo 'cello passages.
The alto, Ms. Fassbaender, has a rich, well-colored
voice that contrasts well with even that of Judith Blegen, who has a warmer tone than most sopranos who
sing high A as effortlessly as she. The tenor, Mr.
Ahnsjo, is very impressive. He has a powerful,
manly voice that is fairly free of baritone quality,
unmistakably a tenor, and a first-class musician. The
bass has a prominent role in this Mass, and is the
only performer somewhat less than superlative. As
bass soloists often do, he sounds more secure in the
ensemble parts than he does when singing alone, and
his voice changes color more between his higher and
lower registers than does that of the finest basses. His
ensemble work is excellent.
The Missa in angustiis is a complex, imposing
work, and I do not expect ever to hear a more staisfying recording of it than the Bavarians made with
Colin Davis. It is more tightly controlled than the
Bernstein Paukenmesse, but carries so much conviction that one wonders if this more complex, less
openly dramatic work is not better-served by restraint than it would be by enthusiasm.
The solo-singing is excellent. Peter Meven sings
beautifully in the Qui tollis, and elsewhere too. The
contralto, Marjana Lipovsek, opens the Gratias agimus and the Agnus Dei with great warmth and distinction. Francisco Araiza is a strong tenor; his style
is more Latin and romantic than is generally met with
in a Haydn Mass, but his musicianship is excellent,
and he carries the tenor line distinctly through some
heavy going. The soprano, Barbara Henricks, is a
little disappointing. She is the solo soprano in
Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass, where her singing has the
quality that the phrase "ravishingly beautiful" was
coined to describe. I cannot imagine anybody doing
it any better, and it was a revelation to hear it done
that well.
However, Haydn is not Gounod, and the soprano
solo in the Haydn Kyrie has some sixteenth notes that
I am used to hearing sung with greater precision, and
there is a string of triplets in the Credo, just following
Vitam venturi saeculi, where I expect to hear the
triplet rhythm more distinctly. It is unrealistic to infer
that she has fundamental trouble with fast passages;
in most of them she shows such quicksilver mobility
that the fast ones are probably less challenging to her
than the slow soaring ones that she sings with such
pure pitch and sure taste.
The other performances on the Gounod record are
also of very high quality, if not quite as miraculous as
Ms. Hendricks'. The tenor, Laurence Dale, is outstanding, and a French baritone who cannot sing
Gounod as if born to do so, would be drummed out
of the corps. Monsieur Lafont is in no danger of
being drummed out; he sings with mastery and expressive warmth. The orchestral and choral performances are comparable with those of the Bavarians,
which means great.
I obtained the Gounod Mass as a digitally recorded
LP. There is no indication on the jacket as to its
availabilty on tape or compact disc. The Haydn
Masses were on compact discs marked "DDD." The
same program material is available on phonograph
records and audio cassettes having the same Philips
numbers except for the terminal digit. The engineering and audio fidelity are excellent. The EMI-Angel
record of the Gounod Mass has very good fidelity
and unusually large dynamic range, virtually that of
a CD. Even so, I would urge buying it as a CD, if one
is available, to anyone having made the investment in
a CD player. The performance is so good that it
would be worth the extra cost to have it in a form
that deteriorates less with playing. I am very glad to
have the two Haydn Masses as CD's.
Sir Colin Davis has recently recorded the Paukenmesse, with British singers and instrumentalists, including the soprano, Margaret Marshall, who is my
favorite in this field. I have no doubt that his version
will be as excellent in its way as the Bernstein performance is in its. It never rains but it pours. Meanwhile, Beethoven's Mass in C Major, a work of comparable stature, is represented in recordings in print,
solely by the above Monitor recording. I have listened to an earlier recording of this Mass by the
Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, that is out of
print, but may still be available as a used record. A
good used Philharmonia version would be a better
buy than a new Monitor. The Monitor version is not
bad. The Rodina choir is world-class. The sopranos
screeched a bit in the Kyrie, but once they and/or
their conductor settled down, they sounded fine. The
Rodina basses are powerful without being overbalanced; their dark vocal color keeps their line alive
even in low and quiet passages. The Sofia orchestra
gave a workmanlike performance; by comparison
that of the Philharmonia orchestra evoked adjectives
like "splendid" and "inspired." The soloists are not
named on the Monitor jacket, and to tell the truth,
they sounded pretty anonymous. They are the weakest link. Still, it is nice to have anybody's performance of this Mass. A typical classical record collection is likely to contain all nine Beethoven
symphonies, perhaps in two or more versions. Yet I
would find it easier to live without six, maybe seven,
of the symphonies than without the Mass in C Major.
Before leaving this subject, it should be noted that
a set of three 100-minutes tape cassettes is available
which records three complete solemn Masses at the
Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul, Minnesota,
from introit to recessional, that include Haydn's
Paukenmesse, Gounod's Saint Cecilia Mass, and
Beethoven's Mass in C Major. These tapes are to the
above recordings what the recording of a complete
opera is to a "highlights" record. The only commercial recording comparable to them that I know of, is
that of the solemn Requiem Mass celebrated in honor
of John F. Kennedy, which included Mozart's Requiem. For Roman Catholics interested in the Latin
order of worship, these tapes should be most interesting. They are available from The Leaflet Missal Company, 419 West Minnehaha Avenue, Saint Paul MN
55103 (1-800-328-9582) for $30 per set.
DONALD CADWELL
NEWS
Founded in 1985 in memory of Monsignor Martin B.
Hellriegel, pioneer in the liturgical movement in the
United States, the Hellriegel Institute of Chicago, Illinois, has announced a series of five solemn Masses
for 1988, to be celebrated at the Church of Saint John
Cantius in Chicago from January through May. Music for the Masses is selected from the treasury of
sacred music of all periods, including Gregorian
chant. The Resurrection Choir sings the polyphonic
compositions and a schola of men, the chant. Father
C. Frank Phillips, C.R., has organized the program.
Information is available from him at 2250 N. Latrobe
Avenue, Chicago IL 60639.
I
The choir of Saint Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers,
New York, presented a Christmas concert at the seminary, December 13, 1987, under the direction of Father Anthony Sorgie, director of music at the Dunwoodie theological school. It was entitled "A Journey
through Advent."
I
To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the installation of the Beckerath organ in Saint Paul's Cathedral, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Guy Bovet, organist from Geneva, Switzerland, with twenty-eight
members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, presented a
29
concert, December 8, 1987. Michael Lankester was
conductor. The program included Toccata, Adagio
and Fugue in C Major by J. S. Bach, Concert in F
Major by G. F. Handel, Litanies and Le Jardin Suspendu of Jehan Alain, Concerto in G Minor by Francis Poulenc, and Trois Preludes Hambourgeois by
Guy Bovet. The program, prepared by Paul Koch,
organist at the cathedral, contains a list of organists
from all parts of the world who have performed concerts on the great instrument.
B
San Francisco's Chanticleer, a male vocal ensemble
under the musical direction of Joseph Jennings, sang
concerts at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in
Sacramento, California, December 11, 1987, and at
the Church of Saint Ignatius in San Francisco, December 12, 1987. Music with a Christmas theme was
taken from settings of the Mass texts, both in Gregorian chant and in polyphonic compositions, including works by Byrd, Benjamin Britten and Herbert
Howells. A variety of carols from many lands concluded the presentation. In addition to their appearances in the Bay area, the group has sung recently on
an extended European trip and in several American
cities. It was founded in 1978 by Louis Botto.
I
The Cathedral Chorale of Corpus Christi, Texas,
presented a concert at the Basilica of S. Maria sopra
Minerva in Rome, June 20, 1987, under the direction
of Lee Gwozdz and Greg Labus. Music programmed
included works by Durufle, Vittoria, Palestrina, Mozart, Anerio, Tallis, Vaughn William, Wagner and
others.
I
A copiously illustrated booklet about the International Federation of Little Singers, Pueri Cantores,
gives a history of the organization and especially its
American affiliate with headquarters at 1747 Lake
Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. The American
president is Terrence Clark of Munster, Indiana. I
Paraclete Press of Orleans, Massachusetts, has announced that all publications of Solesmes Abbey will
now be available in this country through them. Information on prices and a catalog of the liturgical, musicological and chant books may be obtained by writing to the them.
B
Robert Bright, organist at Saint Ann's Church,
Washington, D.C., presented the dedication recital
for the new trompette-en-chamade on October 16,
1987. His program included Toccata and Fugue in D
Minor by J.S. Bach, Cesar Franck's Chorale No. 2 in
B Minor, Prelude et Fugue sur le Nom d'Alain by
Maurice Durufle, Water Nymphs by Louis Vierne
and Sonata on the 94th Psalm by Julius Reubke.
A conference on Gregorian semiology will be held
at the California State University in Los Angeles and
the Huntington Library, June 26-28, 1988. Among
those scheduled to be present are Alejandro Planchart of the University of California at Santa Bar30
bara, Theodore Karp of Northwestern University,
Lance Brunner of the University of Kentucky, Monsignor Robert Hayburn of San Francisco, Monsignor
Richard J. Schuler, Father Columba Kelly, O.S.B. of
Saint Meinrad's Abbey in Indiana. The event is dedicated to Father Clement Morin, S.S. For information
write Dr. Robert M. Fowells, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032.
•
At press time, word has been received of the death
of Dom Eugene Cardine, whose scholarship in Gregorian semiology has revolutionized the theory and
practice of chant in our day. Further information on
his life and death will be given in the next issue of
Sacred Music.
R.J.S.
EDITORIAL NOTES
Subscriptions
Subscritions to Sacred Music are due with the beginning of the new volume. This is the last issue of
Volume 114 (Winter 1987). We ask you to renew your
subscription with the envelope attached to this issue.
We would be happy if you would include a gift certificate for a friend.
The dating of Sacred Music carries the designations Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Sometimes
subscribers think the issue is very late, but they come
within the periods so designated: Springtime lasts
until June; Summer until September 21; Fall until
December 21; and Winter until March 21. If you
don't think so, then come to Minnesota! So the first
issue of Volume 115 will be ready in March.
Past issues of Sacred Music are availabe for $3. The
journal is also available on microfilm from University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48106.
CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Gerald Hofmann is an anesthesiologist living in
the Twin Cities. Long interested in the liturgy and
current theological problems in the Church, his writing has appeared in various publications.
Dr. Catherine M. Dower is professor of musicology at Westfield State College, Westfield, Massachusetts. Active in church music on the east coast, she
has often written for Sacred Music.
Dr. Robert M. Fowells is a professor of music at
California State University at Los Angeles. He has
been a frequent visitor to Solesmes Abbey and published widely in the area of Gregorian scholarship.
Father John Buchanan is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. While pastor of
the Church of the Holy Childhood in Saint Paul, he
founded the schola canto rum. He has written frequently for Sacred Music.
INDEX OF VOLUME 114
Articles
Canonesses and Plainchant by Duane L.C.M. Galles
No. 1
Latin Liturgical Music in France during the Reign
of Louis XIV by R. David Henry
No. 1
Schola Cantorum of The Pacific by Rev. Theodore C. Ley, S.M.
No. 1
Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Pontifical Institute of
Sacred Music by Monsignor Robert J. Hayburn
No. 1
Church Music in America: Where Is It Gone? by Rosalyn Modzekewski
No. 2
Toward A New Church Music by Michael McGowan
No. 2
Papal Honors for American Musicians by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 2
Gregorian Semiology: The New Chant. Part I by Robert M. Fowells
No. 2
The Conductor and the Church Choir by Liam Lawton
No. 2
Gregorian Semiology: Part II by Robert M. Fowells
No. 3
Liturgy and Church Music by Monsignor Sylvester F. Gass
No. 3
Clifford A. Bennett: The Passing of an Era by Catherine Dower
No. 3
Washington, Sunday Morning by Duane L.C.M. Galles
No. 3
St. Agnes, Sunday Morning by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 3
Participation by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 4
Gregorian Semiology: Part III by Robert M. Fowells
No. 4
Concerts in Churches, Congregation of Divine Worship
No. 4
Edward M. O'Connor (1919-1987) by Catherine M. Dower
No. 4
Organ Resource List
No. 4
From the Editors
Triumphalism by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 1
Revolution in the Church by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 1
The Angels in Our Pictures by Virginia A. Schubert
No. 1
Hymns by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 2
Chant Revival by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 3
Concerts in Church by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler
No. 4
The Demise of the Devotional by Reverend John Buchanan
No. 4
Latin and the Novus Or do by Gerald Hofmann
No. 4
Reviews
MAGAZINES REVIEWED
Bollettino Ceciliano (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)
Vol. 81, No. 6, June 1986
Vol. 81, No. 7, Sept. 1986
Vol. 81, No. 8, Oct. 1986
Vol. 81, No. 9, Nov. 1986
Vol. 82, No. 1,2,3,4,5,6-7, Jan.-July 1987
Vol. 82, No. 8, 9, August-September, October 1987
Communautes et Liturgies (Virginia A. Schubert)
No. 2, June 1986
No. 1, June 1987
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
1
1
2
2
3
4
No. 1
No. 2
31
Jubilus Review (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)
Vol. 3, No. 4. Winter 1986
Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring 1987
Vol. 4, No. 2, Summer 1987
Vol. 4, No. 3, Autumn 1987
Vol. 4, No. 4, Winter 1987
Nova Revista de Musica Sacra (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)
Vol. 13, Series 2, No. 39, 1986
Vol. 13, Series 2, No. 40, Oct-Dec, 1986
Vol. 13, Series 2, No. 41, Jan-Feb-March 1987
Vol. 13, Series 2, No. 43, July-August-September 1987
Una Voce
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
(France) (Virginia A. Schubert)
131, November-December 1986
132, Jan-Feb, 1987
133, March-April, 1987
134, May-June, 1987
135, July-August 1987
136, Sept.-Oct. 1987
137, Nov.-Dec. 1987
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 4
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 1
No. 2
No. 2
No. 3
No. 3
No. 4
No. 4
BOOKS REVIEWED
Faith's Answer: The Mystery of Jesus by Vittorio
Messori (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, reviewer)
No. 1
Rome or the Bush: The Choice for Australian Catholics
by Michael Gilchrist (Harold Hughesdon, reviewer)
No. 1
The Desolate City: Revolution in the Catholic Church
by Anne Roche Muggeridge (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler,
reviewer)
No. 1
The Norton Manual of Musical Notation by George
Heussenstamm (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, reviewer)
No. 2
Words and Music in the Middle Ages, Song, Narrative,
Dance and Drama, 1050-1350 by John Stevens
(Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, reviewer)
No. 2
Bach Among the Theologians by Jaroslav Pelikan
(Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, reviewer)
No. 2
Church Organs: A Guide to Selection and Purchase
by John K. Ogaspian
(Mary E. Le Voir, reviewer)
The Sound Eternal by Betty C. and Richard J. Pugsley.
(Paul W. Le Voir, reviewer)
CHORAL MUSIC REVIEWED
(John D. Nowick, reviewer)
(Msgr. Richard J. Schular, reviewer)
No. 3
No. 4
No. 1
No. 1, 2
ORGAN MUSIC REVIEWED
(Mary E. Le Voir, reviewer)
No. 1,3
RECORDINGS REVIEWED
(Donald Cadwell, reviewer)
(Paul W. LeVoir, reviewer)
No. 3, 4
No. 4
CHANT REVIEWED
Graduate Romanum Comitante Organo, Vol. II by
Abbe Ferdinand Portier (Mary E. Le Voir, reviewer)
NEWS
OPEN FORUM
EDITORIAL NOTES
CONTRIBUTORS
32
No. 3
No. 1,2,3,4
No. 1,3
No. 1,4
No. 1,2,3,4